Three Arrested With Active Meth Lab In Fort Wayne Motel Room
LaOtto man among those arrested
A man from Ohio, a man from LaOtto and a woman from Auburn were arrested late last night at a Fort Wayne motel after Indiana State Police Troopers found them with an active meth lab in their room. Arrested was Steven B. Moore, 25, from LaOtto.
According to Trooper Jacob Quick, at approximately 9:30 pm, he, five Troopers and a K-9 from the Fort Wayne post arrived at a motel in the 2700 block of West Coliseum Boulevard to serve an arrest warrant on Candy Lynn Brockhaus, 30, from Auburn. The warrants were issued out of Steuben County for felony non-support of a child and for felony battery with injuries. Brockhaus was also known by Quick to have been involved in the production of meth in the past.
Upon making contact with Brockhaus in her hotel room, Troopers saw two men run out of the bathroom and towards the back of the room. There was a cloud of smoke in the room which had a very strong chemical odor, and Quick, based on his experience and training, quickly recognized that they were all in the presence of an active meth lab. All three were quickly removed from the room and taken into custody. All six Troopers involved were voluntarily treated and released from a local hospital for exposure to the chemical gas as were Brockhaus and her two male companions, Luis O. Barajas, Jr., 30, from Hicksville, Ohio. Brockhaus, Barajas and Moore were then taken to and incarcerated in the Allen County Lockup.
The Indiana State Police Clandestine Laboratory Team from the Meth Suppression Section arrived and rendered the scene safe. Agencies assisting at the scene were the Allen County Sheriff and Fort Wayne Police Departments and the Allen County Prosecutor's Office.
The Troopers assisting Quick were Caleb Anderson, Nicholas Hoffman, Clint Hetrick, Jason Ward, Shane Neuenschwander and his K-9 partner Smokey.
